Raiders' Chris Kluwe Says USA Is a 'Nation of Bigots', Advocates for Change

Oakland Raiders punter Chris Kluwe is known as one of the deepest-thinking and most outspoken players in the entire NFL, and he furthered that reputation on Tuesday when he called the United States a "nation of bigots, homophobes, and ignorant narcissists" in an article for PolicyMic.com.

Kluwe has been a staunch supporter of gay rights, which is something that has garnered him plenty of attention. Punters are generally seen but not heard; however, Kluwe has bucked that trend and has made a bigger name for himself off the field than he has on it.

Kluwe had plenty to say in the PolicyMic.com article, although he admitted that he has said all of those things many times before. Kluwe has a way of putting things bluntly, and he certainly didn't pull any punches this time around:

We preach tolerance and legislate hate. We love our neighbor, unless our neighbor happens to be "different." We elect politicians, year in and year out, on a platform of oppression and prejudice that merely changes its name to fit in with the times.

Kluwe claimed that this is an issue the American people have been dealing with for many years. He compared the battle for gay rights to slavery, suffrage and segregation. He also explained that all of those battles were won, so the battle for same-sex marriage can be won as well.

The cerebral punter called for an end to the Defense of Marriage Act, which is a federal law that restricts gay marriage, as well as Proposition 8 in California, which is a state constitutional amendment that ensures the state doesn't have to recognize gay marriage.

The Minnesota Vikings released Kluwe back in May, and while the team claimed that it was for performance-based reasons, he averaged a respectable 45 yards per punt last season and had a solid 39.7-yard net average.

According to ESPN.com, Kluwe said that he doesn't know the true reason behind his release from the Vikings. It's only natural that there have been whispers about Kluwe's outspokenness costing him his job.

Kluwe has caught on with the Raiders, however, and it's clear that he has no plans to change regardless of how he is received.